European Institutions and Decision-Making Processes
by Northern Ireland Assembly
Policy and legislative developments arising out of the European Union (EU) significantly impact on Northern Ireland (NI). This briefing – Briefing 1 in a three-part series – is intended to facilitate the Members of the Committee of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (the Committee) in their scrutiny of such
developments. More specifically, the briefing seeks to assist the Committee in deciding how it should handle European matters.
In simple terms, it demystifies the European institutions and decision-making processes. It is divided into the following two sections:
1. an overview of the five main EU institutions that explains the composition,
roles and responsibilities of each institution, as well as the inter-relationships
between them; and,
2. an outline of key aspects of EU policy and law-making
